ON a day when rain affected most of the cricket fixtures, Pontblyddyn managed to remind defending champions Connah’s Quay that they had a fight on their hands to retain their title by holding them to a draw.

ON a day when rain affected most of the cricket fixtures, Pontblyddyn managed to remind defending champions Connah’s Quay that they had a fight on their hands to retain their title by holding them to a draw.

Quay were at home to Pont as they began their reign as champions of the North Wales League.

The visitors won the toss and opted to bowl at Central Park and all-rounder Glenn Chambers got them off to a decent start, dispatching opener Darren Jones for just 11 and his partner David Fox for 30 with an lbw.

Martin Burger bedded in well for Quay and the defiant South African made 80 before being run-out but other than that only new Quay skipper David Powell made a stand, scoring 24 before falling victim to Marcel Frenzel.

Rob Bennett was the final batsman and he completed Chambers’ fivefer, as the Pont ace claimed 5-37 with Quay finishing on 191-9.

In response Pont initially looked frail as Phillip Davies went for nought and Chris Myles was dismissed for four.

Step up Chambers, as he played a sensible innings to put on an unbeaten 64.

As he dug in at one end, at the other his team-mates followed suit.

Frenzel scored just seven but ate up 38 deliveries to do so, Alistair Roberts made 4 from 28 balls and so it went on as Pont used up the available overs to earn a losing draw.

MOLD hosted Denbigh and posted a difficult-to-defend 114ao in their opening innings, Cliff Wiseman top-scoring for Mold with 34.

But defend it they did as after tea Thomas North ran riot, claiming 5-9 alongside Russell Wiseman’s 2-10 and captain Uman Butt’s 2-1 as Denbigh were skittled for 90.